The invention relates to a new antibiotic designated Cytosporacin, to its production by fermentation, to methods for its recovery and concentration from the crude solutions, and to process for its purification.
New improved antibiotics are continually in demand, for the treatment of diseases in man. Antibiotic resistant organisms are continually a problem, with Vancomycin the last defense, particularly in hospitals. Especially in hospitals, isolates which are vancomycin resistant are becoming more common. A recent survey found 7.9% of Enterococci in United States hospitals are now vancomycin resistant. xe2x80x9cNosocomial Enterococci Resistant to Vancomycinxe2x80x9d Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 42(30):597-599(1993). Further resistance of Vancomycin and other antibiotics to Enterococcus faecium is reported, Handwergers. et al., Clin. Infect. Dis. 1993(16),750-755. Resistance organisms are also a problem for other important antibiotics which includes piperacillin.
Clearly, antibiotic resistance is a growing public health problem and having new antibiotics available could provide additional options for physicians in treatment regimens.
The medical community recognizes that there is an ongoing need for additional antibiotics. The search for new antibiotics which exhibit antibacterial activity against vancomycin-resistant isolates and having structures which are not derivatives of vancomycin are particularly appealing.
Antibiotics described in the literature include: Crawley, Graham C. Isolation of three new isochroman-3-one metabolites from Oidiodendron rhodogenum Robak. J. Chem. Soc., Perkin Trans.1 (1981), (1), 221-3 and Boulet, Camille A.; Poulton, Gerald A. Pentaketide metabolites from Potebniamyces gallicola n. sp. Can. J. Chem. (1983), 61(10), 2285-6.
However, all of the above disclosed antibiotics are distinct from the present invention.
The present invention relates to an antibiotic compound having the structure: 
The present invention includes within its scope the agent in dilute form, as a crude concentrate, and in pure form. The present invention also relates to the use of the compound according to the invention in antimicrobial compositions and as an antiseptic, or disinfectant.
It is an object of this invention to provide Cytosporacin, an antibiotic which is shown to possess antibacterial activity, especially against vancomycin resistant bacterial isolates and in particular having a chemical structure unlike vancomycin.